Spirit Wolf: Wolves of the Beyond, Book 5

No one ever saw Faolan as a leader. Banished as a pup, he survived and returned as a gnaw wolf - the lowest member of the wolf pack. But Faolan wasn't meant to be a gnaw wolf. It's not just his strange, splayed paw, or his uncanny connection with the bears. There's something about Faolan that inspires certain wolves...and leaves others deeply suspicious. Now, with a dangerous threat on the horizon, the pack must make a choice. Will they trust the silver outsider with the task of leading?

For every end, there is a new beginning. This is what Spirit Wolf felt like to me. With everything that happens throughout the plot, and with everything that changes, it seems as though Kathryn Lasky has concluded the first leg of Faolan & company's journey, while at the same time, clearing the slate, so to speak, for the upcoming installments of the series. A lot of loose ends get tied up in this story, as do a lot of questions get answered, but at the same time, like any good story series, new questions arise and plot twists thicken.

The pacing of the story was one of the best in the series thus far, in my opinion, yet for how much occured within the pages of the story, it felt like the story arc didn't progress quite as much as I would have expected. Still, the experience was most enjoyable, the writing very well done as usual, and as always, I can't wait to read what happens next. Definitely worth a read, especially if you enjoyed the previous four installments of this series.

Erik Davies does his usual narrative, which is great most of the time, yet still could be a little better. No major complaints from me though.

Frost Wolf: Wolves of the Beyond, Book 4

A terrible danger is looming on the horizon, and Faolan is the only one who knows how to fight it. Will he be able to claim his rightful place as leader and lead his clan in battle? Unless Faolan can inspire the pack to stand together, it could be the end of the wolves of the beyond.

Please excuse the play on words, as this story isn't scary, although for younger readers, it could be I suppose. This was a very enjoyable read and a nice sequel to "Watch Wolf". Without giving too much away, let me just say that everything that made the first three books in this series what they were, still remain prevalent within this installment, so if you liked the first three books, you're more than likely bound to find "Frost Wolf" to be satisfactory. Some interesting revelations are revealed in this one, as well as slighty darker themes that are explored but never posed too unreasonably. While some points in the storyline were rather predictable, there were still enough twists and turns to keep things intriguing and enthralling throughout the entire span of the book. It will be interesting to see where Lasky takes this storyline in "Ice Wolf" though but we'll just have to wait and see for that. As always, Erik Davies does a nice job as narrator on this one.

Fell

Fell continues the story begun in The Sight, a story of wolves, dark magic, and an epic struggle between age-old forces. The black wolf Fell now travels alone, padding through the foreboding woods of Transylvania. But then he receives a message from his old eagle friend Skart, and it seems that fate has set Fell's paws on a dangerous path and that grave challenges await him.

I had extremely high hopes when it came to this sequel, as "The Sight" was, and still is, my favorite wolf related novel, as well as being one of my favorite novels in general, and for the most part, my expectations were met. Character development was strong throughout the book, the storyline progressed nicely, and the plot moved along at a decent pace. Everything that made "The Sight" as great as it was, in my opinion, remains true in "Fell" however, I was a little disappointed in the fact that the storyline focuses quite heavily upon the human side of things, but this still doesn't take away anything from the overall majesty of this incredible work of writing. If you enjoyed "The Sight", you'll most definitely be pleased with "Fell". I wouldn't really recommend going into this one if you haven't already read "The Sight", although some aspects of the first novel are touched upon briefly, but in order to extract all that "Fell" has to offer, I would highly encourage that "The Sight" be read first. Steven Crossley does a wonderful job as narrator, just as he did for "The Sight".

Secrets of the Wolves: Wolf Chronicles, Book 2

Years of research into the world of wolves combines with mythical tale-telling to present a fantastical adventure set in a world filled with lore. The rules of the Wide Valley wolves were clear: Never consort with humans; never kill a human unprovoked; never allow a mixed-blood wolf to live. But they were rules destined to be broken.

Staying true to the original formula that worked so well in "Promise Of The Wolves", Dorothy Hearst's second installment in this planned trilogy of books follows very closely in the proverbial paw prings of its predecessor. If you enjoyed the first novel in this series, you'll love this one as well. The storyline is progressed, character development is deepened, and the plot thickens throughout the entirety of this enthralling tale. Even with the major cliffhanger of an ending that leaves you wanting oh so much more, "Secrets Of The Wolves" does a marvelous job when it comes to addressing some of the unanswered questions that the first novel left behind, but perhaps does an even better job when it comes to raising new ones at the end of this epic work. Guess we'll all have to wait until the third installment of this series comes out, whenever that might be, to have all the remaining loose ends of this fascinating story arc tied up completely. Until then, don't miss this worthy sequel! Justine Eyre does a nice job, once again, as narrator, aside from a few falters with character names, but nothing major.

If you enjoyed Lasky's "Guardians Of Ga'Hoole" series, you will thoroughly enjoy this new endeavor by the same author. Lasky applies her tried and tested formula that worked so well with owls, but this time around, focuses it upon wolves. The end result is a very intriguing story that stays true to the author's unique writing style, while still feeling new and fresh at the same time. Although there is a surprising lack of character dialog within the entire length of the story, the narrative keeps the pace of the plot going nicely. While it's not necessary to have read any, if not all, of the "Guardians Of Ga'Hoole" series of books before starting this series, it might make the overall story and experience a bit more enjoyable if this unspoken prerequisite is met beforehand. Either way however, it is a marvelous read, one that shouldn't be passed up by any fans of wolves, or any fans of animal fantasy stories in general. Erik Davies does a magnificent job as narrator, as he has a very pleasant voice to listen to in my opinion.

*howls and applauds his approval*

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